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MENASource

Jun 23, 2026

The Middle East’s greatest killer is not what you think

By Daniel E. Zoughbie

When considering the forces claiming lives across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), minds inevitably turn to warfare and terrorism. Yet the region’s most prolific killer does not carry a weapon. Its methods are salt, sugar, and sitting. The numbers are staggering. Cardiovascular disease kills approximately 1.4 million people in the region every year; […]

Economy & Business Middle East

MENASource

Jun 11, 2026

The Iran war is a game of liar’s poker

By Khalid Azim

The central question has not simply been who possesses power, but who is willing to absorb pain, tolerate risk, and continue escalating when conventional logic suggests restraint.

Conflict Iran

MENASource

Jun 4, 2026

تفتت الفصائل المسلحة العراقية بعد تحول النظام الإيراني من الثيوقراطية الى الجنتوقراطية

By Munqith Dagher

كيف يؤثر تغيير القيادة في ايران على الميليشيات العراقية؟ د. منقذ داغر يبدو اننا بتنا ، بعد 28 فبراير 2026 ،امام نظام مختلف وظيفياً، بل وحتى هيكلياً عما عرفناه طوال السنوات السبعة وأربعين من عمر النظام الايراني. فقد اتسم نظام الحكم في ايران بنسخته الخمينية الأولى 1979-1989  بأحادية قطبية لا مكان فيها سوى للمرشد الأعلى(الخميني). […]

Arabic Conflict

Through our Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, the Atlantic Council works with allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

Content

In the News

Sep 1, 2020

Hudson quoted in the Sudan Tribune on the United States’ push for Sudan to normalize relations with Israel

By Atlantic Council

Africa Democratic Transitions

MENASource

Sep 1, 2020

Energy cooperation in the Middle East is a necessary step toward regional security

By Ariel Ezrahi

Mutual energy dependencies can help mitigate political tensions, creating incentives to cooperate and possibly facilitating a positive momentum towards solving some of the MENA region’s thornier outstanding political conflicts

Middle East Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Aug 31, 2020

Shaffer in National Interest: Iran’s multiethnic society explains why Tehran fears democracy

Iran faces the democracy conundrum: in multi-ethnic states where one non-majority group prevails over others, democratization entails risk of loss of empire.

Iran Middle East

In the News

Aug 29, 2020

Charai in the Jerusalem Post: Can Arabs and Israelis prosper together?

By Atlantic Council

The Arab world was strangely quiet in the wake of the United Arab Emirates’ announcement of peace with Israel. But the announcement is a strategic victory for both Israel and the UAE, with the potential to impact Arab-Israeli relations as far afield as Morocco. Read Atlantic Council Board Director Ahmed Charai's latest in the Jerusalem Post on the prospects for Arabs and Israelis to prosper together.

Israel Morocco

MENASource

Aug 28, 2020

How attacks on US forces in Iraq became a new normal

By Seth Frantzman

The resulting posture of the US in Iraq looks to be a presence concentrated more in the autonomous Kurdistan region—where US forces have never been targeted by rocket attacks—with a very limited presence in Al-Assad base and Baghdad.

Iraq Politics & Diplomacy

In the News

Aug 28, 2020

Kroenig and Ashford discuss convention speeches, America’s foreign engagement, and how the West should respond to Belarus

By Atlantic Council

On August 28, Foreign Policy published a biweekly column featuring Scowcroft Center Deputy Director Matthew Kroenig and the Cato Institute’s Emma Ashford discussing the latest news in international affairs. In this column, they discuss the DNC and RNC speeches, what a potential President Biden’s foreign policy might look like, and what role the US should play in response […]

Belarus Elections

In the News

Aug 27, 2020

Fulton quoted in Bloomberg Businessweek on China-Gulf relations

China Chinese

In the News

Aug 26, 2020

Mack quoted in Al Jazeera on UAE-Israel normalization

Arabic Israel

In the News

Aug 26, 2020

Hudson quoted in RFI on US pressure to normalize relations with Israel

By Atlantic Council

Africa Democratic Transitions

MENASource

Aug 26, 2020

Four takeaways from Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s visit

By Andrew Peek

Washington must compete in the gray zone, for partial victory, with all the tools at its disposal. This visit was a good start.

Iraq Politics & Diplomacy

Experts